Satriani consciously went in a more simplistic direction than on his previous album, Shockwave Supernova – as opposed to an alien alter ego, this time he wrote songs “about a human being, two feet on the ground, heart pumping, with emotions, dreams, and hopes. That seemed to be the direction I really was yearning for”. He referred to it as an ‘internal artistic rebirth’ and collaborated with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Deep Purple bassist Glenn Hughes and producer Mike Fraser.

It was recorded in Los Angeles and San Francisco, with Satriani abandoning progressive elements of his last two albums and utilising a more straightforward, accessible sound he termed “pure rock and soul” ― Wiki